Vulcanizing-press.



J. R. GAMMETER..

' VULCANIZING PRESS. APPLICATION FILED APR.I8,1917. 1,Q32,02Q. v Patented July 3, 1917.

. v 3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A TTORNEY msgmz 1. R.'GAMMETER.

VULCANIZKNG PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18, 1917- Patenlted July 3,1911

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- I l x l l l I I I l 1 l l 4 yZlznAQ. 68117177146221 ATTORNEY J, R. GAMMETER. VULCANIZ ING PRESS. APPLICATION man APR.18.1917.

1,232,0Q2B Patented July 3, 191?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 34 [N VE N TOR.

B C/bil 12 6'a 212115222 AMA-M ATTORNEY nnirnn stares JOHN R. GAMMETER, OF AKRON, OHIG, ASSIGNQE THE B. F. GOODRICH COMFANY,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A GORPQREJI'IDN 0F NEV] 'E'QBK.

VULCANIZIN To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J GEN R. (immerse, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the count; of Summit and. State of ()hio, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in VulcaniZing-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to presses adapted to operate uponla series of molds arranged in a vertical tier, for vulcanizing rubber goods. Theobje'ct of the invention is to pro vide an improved elevator and platform mechanism and so to combine the same with the press as to facilitate the placing of molds in position within the press and their removal after their. contents have been v=ulcanized.

Of the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 represents an end elevation of a six-compartment hot-plate vulcanizing press provided Withplatforms and elevator mechanism constructed and arranged according to my invention.

Fig. 2 represents a top plan view thereof, partly broken away. i

Fig. 3 represents a side elevation partly in section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, 10 is a hydraulic cylin- (lei forming the base of the press and provided with bosses 11 which are connected by vertical bolted tie-rods 12 with similar bosses 13 upon a stationary head or platen 14. In the cylinder 10 is a piston or ram *5 which works through a stuffing-box l6 and carries at its upper end a movable plate 17.

There is provided a series of seven. hot-- plates 18, here shown conventionally but having any suitable internal construction for distributing the heating fluid and withstanding its pressure, the uppermost plate being aliixed to the upper platen 14, while the lower one rests upon the movable platen The intermediate plates have varying degross of vertical movement corresponding to their respective distances from the top platen. For arresting each of the several intermediate hot-platslS at a predetermined distance below the plate above it, and thus uniformly deepening or opening the mold compartments between the plates to permit the insertion and Withdrawal of the molds Specification of Letters Itatcnt.

Application filed April 18, 1

latter bein D platen or press platforms are located close to the tier of hot tire suspended by four v Patented. Jul}; 23 1917. Serial no. leases.

when the lower platen is depresscd, each of said intermedmte hot-plates is provided near its corners with tour pins 19 engaging suitable stops or abutments at the bottoms of a series or recesses 20 and slots 21 formed in a set of four vertical stop-plates 22, the pins being guided in their vertical move cuts by the sides of" the slots and recesses, and the of progressively increasing length, downwardly of the series.

533 is a steam inlet manifold having a pressure-gage and fed by a'supply pipe 25, said manifold being connected by a series of looped flexible branch pipes 26 with the respective movable hotplates l8, and connected by a rigid branch pipe 26* with the uppermost or fired one of said plates. A similar manifold 2? leading to a discharge pipe connected by flexible and rigid n ches 28, with the said movable and lined ho plates 18 on the opposite side of the pi from the inlet-manifold.

(in re other two sides of the press the six compartments 29 formed between the seven hot ulates 18 are open or exposed horizontally at their ends for the full width of said plates, and I provide on these two sides a pair of parallel. elevator platforms 30 mounted upon a frame composed of short and long longitudinal U-beanis 31, 32 and long transverse U-beams 33. The edges of the platforms are convexly rounded as shown at 3% so as to facilitate'the sliding; of the molds onto and 0d of the platforms without catching, and the inner edges of said plates. Each platfprm is oi such length as to extend beyond the tier of hot plates at both ends so as to support the molds both in front of and at either side of said tier. Une of the mcldsjlt; is shown on the left-hand platform in Fig. l.

36 is a vertical hydraulic cylinder mount ed ontop of the fixed upper head or platen 1% and containing a rain or piston 37 "which works through a shilling-lion 8 at the upper end of said cylinder. The piston on i at its upper end a four-arn1 v o5.) from the ends of Whose armsthe platform strucl rods 40 bolted at their lower ends to tln inner ends ofthebeams 31. Theserods are guided in 55 a press duringthe exchange'. Each operator bosses i1 formed on the platen 1i, and the yoke 39 is provided with a pair of additional guide-rods 4:2 working in guide-bosses 43 on the upper rim of the cylinder 36.

, For raising-land lowering the two pistons, there are provided suitable controlling valve devices 4+, 45 actuated by hand..-le-vers 4G, 47 and located on opposite sides of the press so that each is within convenient reach of one of the two attendants. 48 is a trunk supply pipe leading from a suitable source of hydraulic pressure and connected by branch pipes 45.), 50 with the casings of the respective valve mechanisms. Pipes 51, 52 lead from the respective valve casings to the re-' spcctive cylinders 10 and 3G, and waste pipes 53, 5t lead away from the valve casings, the arrangement being such that by manipulation of the hand-lever 46 or 47 either cylinder may be charged or discharged at will as will be readily understood.

The press is opened by discharging the lower cylinder 10 and allowing its piston to descendby gravity with the movable platen 1-Z, thus opening the mold compartments 29 and permitting the molds to be inserted in or removed from said compartments. When the desired number of molds is in place, the water pressure is admitted to said cylinder in order to raise the lower platen, together with the molds and the, movable hot-plates 18, and place the molds and their contents under pressure while vulcanization is effected by the heat of the steam in the hot plates. \Vhen the press is opened and the molds are to be changed, the hand-lever 47 is manipulated so as to charge or discharge the upper cylinder 36 and bring the platv forms 30 opposite to or in registry with the bottom or floor of the desired compartment, and the exchange is then effected by the operator on one side pushing a fresh mold into'the compartment and thereby pushing out a cured mold onto the opposite platform where it is received by the operator on that side. The press may be operated by curing the full complement of molds. all at the same time, but 'I prefer the mode of operation described in-my companion application Serial No. 163,042 filed concurrently herewith, according to-which the press is kept fulhbut the molds'are cured in pairs with overlapping-curing periods, onlytwo of the molds belng changed at any one time, and the others being allowed to remain in the opened has, a fresh mold ready when the press 'is opened. The-operator onthe right, for example, will use hisfresh mold to push out atheplatforms are being lowered to thenext compartment, and with his fresh mold in front. of this compartment he pushes out the meantime being occupied by emptying and refilling the two spare molds which have just been withdrawn from the press.

I claim:

1, In combination, a vulcanizing press adapted to operate upon a series of molds arranged in avertical tier, platforms on opposite sides of said press, and means for raising and lowering said platforms.

In combination, a vulcanizing press adapt ed to operate upon a series of molds arranged in a vertical tier, platforms on opposite sides of said press, and means for simultaneously raising and lowering said platforms.

3. In combination, a vulcanizing press of the hotplate type having a tier of mold compartments, a pair of platforms located at the same level, adjacent to and on opposite sides of said tier and connected to rise and fall in unison, for successively registering with the several compartments, and means for raising and lowering said platforms.

4. In combination, a vulcanizing press of the hot plate typehaving a tier of mold.

. ed by the upper piston.

. 6. In combination, a vulcanizing press havlng an upper fixed platen on which is mounted a vertical hydraulic cylinder, a

piston working through the upper end of said cylinder and carrying a yoke, a pair of platforms on opposite sides of the press suspended by rods from said yoke,',a lower hydraulic cylinder andpiston, a movable platen actuated thereby,-and a series of hotplates forming a tier of mold compartments between said platens, with which the platforms are adapted successively to register.

' 7. In combination, a vulcanizing press having a tier of hot-plates forming moldreceiving compartments, and an elevator platform havingmeans for raising and lowering it to register successively with the several compartments, said platform extending in front of*and .laterally beyond the tier so as to aocommodate molds both in front of and at the side of said tier.

8. In combination, a

vulcanizing press having a tier of hot-plates forming mold- 5 receiving compartments, a pair of platforms located at of the tier,

the same level on opposite sides said platforms extending in front of and laterally beyond the tier, and means for-raising and lowering said platforms in HIIlSOXl.

- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of April 1917.

JOHN B. GAMMETER. 

